“With the return of Sheldon Rankins, the Blueprint Bengals D-Line is ready for its first appearance.”

While BJ Hill beat out his good friend Dexter Lawrence, fellow starting defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins believes his return can help the Bengals' defense on Sunday Night Football (8:20 – Cincinnat's Channel 5) against the Giants in New York recover.

“As a competitor, I feel like I’m watching from the sidelines. I just see so many opportunities where I feel like my presence is felt in those moments and helps this team get the game back on track,” said Rankins, who has played six good quarters this season.

Both Hill and Rankins suffered a hamstring injury in the second week of the season in Kansas City and have only played five quarters together. Hill returned last week and provided a spark with four pressures as the Bengals' second-leading pass rusher, per Pro Football Focus, playing 53 snaps straight from the injured list.

For now, Hill appears to be making long-distance play with Lawrence, the Giants' Pro Bowl nose tackle with six sacks already.

“At first glance when I see him on the field. Before the game. He better be ready,” said Hill, who couldn’t hide a smile. We just have a little bit of beef.

Hill is pretty sure Lawrence is the only one left from the Giants' D-line room, which he joined when New York drafted him in the third round of the 2018 draft. Lawrence arrived as a first-rounder the next year and has since become a force in the NFL while guys like Hill, Dalvin Tomlinson and Leonard Williams moved on.

And it seemed Hill remained friends with Lawrence. But Hill didn't want to elaborate on the “feud,” which seems like a harmless needle.

“I have a problem with him. We have a problem,” said Hill, who only allowed a smile.

What's not a joke is that the Giants traded Hill to the Bengals for 2018 first-round pick Billy Price two weeks before the 2021 opener, and his career and the Bengals took off.

Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who spent Hill's rookie season as the Giants' secondary coach, praised the Bengals' scouts when the deal was finalized, recognizing that he had secured a solid rotation tackle who was great in the locker room is.

He was better than that. In 2021, he matched his rookie sack rating of 5.5 and delivered one of the most memorable plays of the year in the AFC title game when a Vonn Bell blitz confused Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Hill snatched a pass out of the air on the Chiefs' 27 to set up the game-winning touchdown on the way to the Super Bowl.

Since then, Hill has received a second contract, has collected 13 sacks in 52 games as a Bengals compared to 7.5 in 48 games with the Giants, and is an established leader in the locker room. He admits his 101^st The NFL game means something special and is a vivid reminder of the basket sent by Giants owner John Mara when one of his children was born.

“Very similar to here. Great family,” Hill said. “I’m looking forward to going back and playing. It’s special.”